BY: NASIRU MUHAMMAD WAZIRI.
On Wednesday 26 July, 2023, few minutes to midnight i was about to hibernate and retire for the day, a news flash flip on my cell phone menu bar from GLOBAL TRACKER, and i quote. “BREAKING:ARMY ANNOUNCED A COUP D’ETAT IN NIGER REPUBLIC”.
Immediately i drove on a high speed to surf as much as enough fact from my little memory and the intellectual property available on the internet about the happenings and anticident of politicking between Niger Republic and her mother France, then i come up with this.
The same thing that finishes Late Mammar Gaddafi, of libya, Albashir of Sudan, Mohammed Tanja of Niger, is about to devoured and consume Mohammed Bazoum alive.
Bazoum is considered one of the must cherished president in Niger history, but that is not what the French government are after, although if bazoum will continue to protect French interest, he could have been just fine.
But Reluctantly Bazoum actions continue to trigger the French anger continuesly, but why?
READ ALSO: BREAKING: Army Announced a Coup D’etat in Niger Republic
Because of French Policy of Assimilation in West Africa.
The French policy of assimilation was a system of colonial administration imposed on its West African colonies.
This policy was aimed at making Africans in the French territories and colonies to become French citizens by imbibing French culture, language, law, mode of dressing, religion and civilization.
In pursuance to this policy of Assimilation, African culture and traditional institutions were not only neglected but also rejected in favour of the French culture and westernization.
The Africans who were assimilated into the French culture received French education and were employed into the senior positions in the civil service and in the universities, it also include the control of it’s economy, sponsoring regime if abide and topplling the unloyal leaders, like what happened to the late former Chadian President Idris Daby.
On May, 22, 2023. Bazoum attended Dangote refinery lunch in Lagos Nigeria and deliver a speech in Hausa in solidarity to what he calls success of is brother, the CEO of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote. And we all knows that French wouldn’t be happy to hear that! Knowing Niger has crude oil especially when Dangote is lunching a refinery in a country next to Niger of Bazoum is calling a friend before the world.
Moreover, former president Bazoum recently granted an interview on National TV and was even bragging about plans toward achieving ECOWAS dream of reigniting uniform currency of West Africa that may also affect France foreign policy and interests.
Knowingly, that it was the same aspiration that consummate some of the former West African presidents as i mention above.
How did Niger Republic constitution, place or limit military in the country’s law ?
The following reference have clear the air on the issue.
Under Niger constitution of 2010 as amended.
Article 38 Said, “The defense of the Nation and of the territorial integrity of the Republic is a sacred duty for each
Nigerien citizen. Military service is obligatory. The conditions of its accomplishment are determined by the law and should not be tempered by anyone, military or civilian.
Also: Article 39 Futher explain that: “All Nigerien citizens, civil or military, have the absolute obligation to respect, in all circumstances, the Constitution and the juridical order of the Republic, under penalty of the sanctions specified by the Law such as treachary, conspiracy or any plot against government official without viable offence should be punished accordingly.
READ ALSO: Niger’s Presidential Guards Moved Against Me — Bazoum Mohamed
On this juncture i will like to remind us that the Niger military would not have the guts and the constitutional authority to carry out the coup D’etat, if the overthrow president Bazoum didn’t commit an offence worthy of overthrow, i don’t think there is any military strong enough to topple his Boss regime without some invincible assurance from the Colonial influence.
It is in the history, that France had on several occasions proof to largely depends on colonies economy to survive.
The following are mineral resources God had endowed Niger Republic with, since before colonial era: Gold. – Reserves: 32 tons. – Operating mine: 1. …
Gypsum and limestone. – Reserves: not assessed. …
Uranium. – Reserves: 480,000 tu. …
Coal. – Reserves: 75,000,000 tons. …
Iron. – Reserves: 1.2 billion tons. …
Phosphate. – Reserves: 1.255 billion. …
Salt. – Resources: more than 6 billion. …
Industrial minerals. – Copper, silver, tin, zinc, marble.
So Niger poverty is highly overrated.
Those are the country’s France, invaded and colonise in Africa and beyond.
Ivory Coast (1843–1960)
Dahomey or French Dahomey (now Benin) (1883–1960)
Independent of Dahomey, under French protectorate in 1889
Porto-Novo (protectorate) (1863–1865, 1882)
Cotonou (protectorate) (1868)
French Sudan (now Mali) (1883–1960)
Senegambia and Niger (1902–1904)
Guinea or French Guinea (1891–1958)
Mauritania (1902–1960)
Adrar emirate (protectorate) (1909)
The Tagant confederation’s emirate (protectorate) (1905)
Brakna confederation’s emirate (protectorate)
Emirate of Trarza (protectorate) (1902)
Niger (1890–1960)
Sultanate of Damagaram (Zinder) (protectorate) (1899)
Senegal (1677–1960)
French Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) (1896–1960)
French Togoland (1918–1960)
(formerly a German colony, mandate became a French colony) (now Togo)
Nigeria
The Enclaves of Forcados and Badjibo (territory under a lease of 30 years) (1900–1927)
The Emirate of Muri Some parts of current Sardauna Local government Area, in Taraba State. (Northeast of Nigeria) (1892–1893)
Gambia Albreda (1681–1857)
Kunta Kinteh Island (1695–1697, 1702)
French Equatorial Africa
Chad (1900–1960)
Oubangui-Chari (currently Central African Republic) (1905–1960)
Dar al Kuti (protectorate) (1897) (in 1912 its sultanate was suppressed by the French)
Sultanate of Bangassou (protectorate) (1894)
Present-day The Republic of Congo, then French Congo (1875–1960)
Gabon (1839–1960)
French Cameroon (91% of current Cameroon) (1918–1960)
(formerly a German colony, Mandate, Protectorate then French Colony)
São Tomé and Príncipe (1709)
East Africa and Indian Ocean
Madagascar (1896–1960)
Kingdom of Imerina (protectorate) (1896)
Isle de France (1715–1810) (now Mauritius)
Djibouti (French Somaliland) (the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas) (French Somalia) (1862–1977)
French Egypt (1798–1801, 1858–1882, 1956)
Mayotte (1841–present)
Seychelles (1756–1810)
Chagos Archipelago (1721–1745, 1768–1814)
The Scattered Islands (Banc du Geyser, Bassas da India, Europa Island, Juan de Nova Island, Glorioso Islands, Tromelin Island)
Comoros (1866–1975)
Réunion (1710–present).
READ ALSO: ECOWAS Condemn Coup Attempt in Niger
In addition, some of French citizens viewed President Macron as Saviour of their current economics misfuturned, while others sees him as Traditional Conservatives despise him because he comes from the actual government and they treat him as the sole responsible for France’s economic situation.
Reader! I know by now you must have recover from the shock of yesterday headline about the Niger Coup D’etat, and understand ‘who calls the shot’.
You Contact Me On:
nasirumuhammedwaziri@gmail.com
Or: +2348062343565